Krista’s Story-

I was diagnosed with dyslexia in the fourth grade. For those who might not know, dyslexia is a learning disorder which mainly affects reading and writing. When most people see me they would not know that I am dyslexic. This has impacted my life and education because it takes me longer to read than others and I have a hard time understanding grammar. In middle school, I was constantly pulled out of my routine classes to get extra help in those areas. Most would say that dyslexia has negatively affected my life and has held me back, but because I have always had it, I do not know what any other way of life is like.

In high school, I did my senior project on dyslexia and asked a question on whether or not it is a curse or a gift. The thing is that when you look up the basic definition it’s always talked about it in a negative way. But when you actually take the time and dig deeper, as I did for my senior project, dyslexia can have the positive side. For those with dyslexia, you probably understand. I found out things about my learning style that fit me better, my disability gave me opportunities I wouldn’t have had living a normal life.

Everyone sees the world differently and I see it through a dyslexic lens, I was able to take something in my life that is seen as negative and use the positive side of things. For example, people with dyslexia can be strong in dynamic reasoning, interconnected reasoning, narrative reasoning, and dynamic reasoning. I do not think dyslexia has a negative impact on my life, yes it given me some challenges, but I do not know what my life would be like without this and I would not change that.

You might also be wondering how or why someone who is dyslexic could write for a school newspaper. Well, I have many reasons, mainly because I can; my disability won’t stop me from using my voice. I find that writing is a good escape for me, it can be a type of therapy and a creative outlet. To me it is not about managing my dyslexia it’s about taking what I know about myself and using my strengths to strengthen my weaknesses. It lets me take a break from school and focus on something that I find personally inspiring.

I am fully aware that I am not the best reader or writer, but the Nor’easter news has given me an opportunity working on these weaknesses. I write because I enjoy writing. I write because I hope to spark a conversation. I write to advocate about the issues and problems I see with the world. I write because even though I am not always taken seriously I have a voice that is important. I aspire to create a sense of connection and reliability for those out there that feel they cannot accomplish something because of society’s barriers. I want them to see and know that any issue can be overcome with enough will and passion to try.